Knitting Events, Fiber Friends, and New Beginnings

This is the 50th episode of the podcast! I'm celebrating today by going to a fiber festival with new knitting friends. I chat about this and about what I'm looking forward to in the season ahead. 

[Music Credit: Ketsa "Day Trips"]

Transcript

[instrumental intro music, upbeat with trills and bells 

Music Credit: Ketsa, “Day Trips”]

[Holly 00:34]

Hello! I’m so excited to be talking to you. It’s Sunday morning. This is the 50th episode! Hooray! There’s so much that’s been captured in this season and I wanted to celebrate that. Thank you so much for listening to me ramble about knitting and recovery. I’m so happy you’re here.

[Holly 00:57]

I’m off today to go to a fiber event. I’m really excited about it. It didn’t seem possible. I remember when I bought the tickets in June and it felt so aspirational. But here we are. It’s today! It’s working. It felt aspirational in a couple of different ways. It felt aspirational in that people would be able to attend an in person event. Would they even be able to hold it? It also felt aspirational for me about how it would work. Would I drag my kids with me? They would have less fun. Though it’s on a farm and farms are fun! Or would I have some kind of childcare arrangement? I just couldn't see how it would work. But I bought the ticket anyway. 

[Holly 02:08]

But I’m vaccinated and boosted. My kids are about to be vaccinated. I’m so relieved. Phew--it’s been a journey! I’m so relieved. I also have great news because today--you know my kids have all these hockey games on sunday. My whole weekend is hockey, which is great. I get to knit in a cold arena while cheering my kiddos on. But it means I can’t often take off for a whole day to visit a farm. But today I can. I was able to ask my kids for help and my ex for help and he’s in a place where he can give it. And so today I’m feeling all the blessings of recovery. And the joy of knitting! So I wanted to pop on and share that with you. It felt like a momentous occasion and given all that I talked about on the podcast I wanted to share that with you. 

[Holly 03:21]

It feels like a good moment to end season one and start season two. So this episode will be the last episode of season 1 and the next episode will start season two. I started this in March 2020 and it’s reaching forward to a new moment of knitting and recovery.

[Holly 03:43]

I’m thinking about the year ahead and my goals. I’m trying not to just get through things but instead embrace the expansiveness of recovery if I do my footwork in a 12 step program. For me it’s Al-Anon, meeting with my therapist and my sponsor, feeling my feelings (laughter), practicing self compassion, and knitting! That’s how I show myself self care and self love and meditation and all that. I’m so happy to talk about it with people who love knitting as much as I do.

[Holly 04:42]

The two projects I’ve been working on are challenging me and giving me lots of joy. And that’s what I wanted to talk about as my life continues to be challenging. Work is really hard and with addiction it’s always one day at a time. I want to make sure we’re safe and happy and that we can detach from his addiction and love him and accept him when it’s a good day in recovery.  Life on life’s terms.

[Holly 05:50]

For me that feels like colorwork. Colorwork is hard for me. I usually prefer cables and lace. I loved the brioche shawl I made but I'm not in the headspace for brioche. I’m thinking about sweaters and fair isle, which have always felt so out of reach for me. Both in putting colors together and in terms of my gauge. It’s always so crazy tight with stranded colorwork. But I’m working on it! My two projects are both stranded colorwork--my lopi sweater and selbu mittens--and I’m really enjoying them. They’re not easy. I’ve had to rework both of them a LOT but they’re really beautiful. But they’re helping me practice skill building and self compassion. It’s encouraging me to let go of perfectionism. Why should I expect to hit a homerun out of the park every single time with my knitting? And boy are these projects reminding me that I am not hitting home runs!

[Holly 08:01]

The selbu mitten thumbs--oh my word--getting the pattern to match up and to keep a normal tension on such a small circumference. It’s hard! I’ve reworked them about four times. I worry that the yarn will start felting soon. (laughter). Right now it’s in a time out but it will be amazing when it’s done. 

[Holly 08:57]

My other project is a colorwork Icelandic lopi sweater. It’s a steeked cardigan. I wanted the steek to be the 50th episode. But of course the best laid plans don’t always unfold. I finished the whole sweater but I’m not ready to steek it. It’s done but I haven’t blocked it. I didn’t want to rush the steek but I also found myself not wanting to podcast because the steek wasn’t done. You can see how my brain works--I was going to force a solution. This idea was taking the fun out of the steek and out of the podcast! So I am. I have no steek to report. But I let that go. 

[Holly 10:15]

And I have to tell you, it’s not great. It’s itchy and the tension is too tight. The colorwork band at the wrist cinches in before the ribbing. It is a work in progress just like me. But it’s complete and it’s beautiful and I’ll wear it with joy and pride. It shows a lofty goal and the fun of reaching into deep stash to find a wip and finish it.

[Holly 11:09]

The other fun thing--for those of you who have been listening for a while--I found my Betty and Judy sweater, my Christmas sweater from last year that I made in January and February totally off season--it’s all finished! I just have to weave in the ends and I have a Christmas sweater. All these little things over time are adding up. I’m really excited about it. It has a little bit of intarsia. I’m so excited today to go to a fiber event with some new friends and celebrate a break from pandemic life. 

[Holly 12:05]

That’s what I’m doing today. I’m really excited but I don’t know these people very well. This is a big deal for me to meet up with people through a shared love of yarn. We became friends online during the pandemic through hashtags about local knitting on instagram. It’s been great to meet people who love yarn as much as I do. I used to be worried about doing this--would it be awkward? I can’t spend as much money as everyone else, since I’m a single mom with a tight budget. But I’ve learned how to accept that and talk about my real life and a lot of that has to do with how I talk about my life here. I see how people respond to me when I share my reality so I wanted to end by thanking you for showing up and helping me to learn how to talk about my life. I’m so grateful to this community and the time you spend here. 

[Holly 13:10]

I’m looking forward to the next season. There’s no break. I’ll just show up here when I have a few moments to talk. I try every two weeks. It’s almost time for holiday gift knitting. I can’t wait to chat about it. Take care! I hope you have beautiful materials to work with and a gorgeous day ahead.

[Holly 14:10]

Bye!

Music Outro [instrumental upbeat music with trills and bells]